reno

Last Saturday we drove to Reno to visit Chris' aunt Noonie and Deb. We had last visited them a few years prior and had just as good of a trip this time around. They live in the most beautiful setting and we took lots of fun outings with plenty of down time in between.

Last time we were up, we bought each of the kids a Lego set for the trip. We found this to be an excellent activity (occupying lots of time!) for them during down times at the house.

The kids and I got to spend a lot of time together, just the three of us. Noonie and Deb are fellow golf fans, so while they golfed, we found fun things to do. On Sunday morning we went to a trampoline park. The kids LOVED the climbing wall.

That afternoon, some of their friends opened up their home to us and let the kids swim. This picture doesn't do their view justice. So beautiful.

Each night, we ate dinner outside on their patio. Their home is situated in a wooded area and a highlight for all of us were our nights relaxing and talking during dinner and into the night. The first night they had planned some S'mores roasting at their fire pit.

The next day was lake day. Instead of going to Tahoe, we went to Donner lake. It was less crowded and the water was warmer. We rented a couple of paddle boards (which I loved...I could do that every day) and picnicked. 

That night we went out to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. The kids were exhausted, but the promise of getting their own piece of cheesecake made them beyond eager to go. :)

The next day was the 4th of July. During the morning, we took a walk down a creek a couple blocks from their house.

The country club they belong to held a barbecue, complete with water activities for the kids. Cameron liked going in the dunk tank. :)

Here is Chris helping Cameron during a putting contest.

Kendall, teaching Deb how to play Spot-it.

We had such a wonderful visit and felt so spoiled. It's quite nice having family live in such an idyllic setting, in addition to being so willing to host all four of us. :)

After four nights, we drove back down to Chris' parents. It was super hot, so the kids didn't play outside very much. They did take a turn on the swing. I snuck out and caught this syrupy sweet picture before they knew I was there. :)

They got in a couple, very rambunctious games of Yahoo (Aggravation).

Debbie treated us to pedicures. This was Kendall's first ever. She was quite a fan. :)

I've said before that saying we eat well up there is an understatement. Here we are at one of our many yummy meals (Tri-tip, baked potato casserole, potato salad, corn on the cob, squash, homemade rolls, fruit salad).

I also got in four Hallmark movies!! Some of my favorite times during our visits are after the kids go to bed. Chris and Wayne watch baseball in another room and Debbie and I watch movies in the living room. Pair this with homemade ice cream and cake...and you have some VERY relaxing evenings. :)

While it is nice to be home, we all agree that the past week held some pretty amazing memories. :)

cold brew

*This week has been the kids' Camp TLC (Vacation Bible school) at church. This is the first year in a long time in which I didn't volunteer. I'll be honest, it has been wonderful to have some free time. I had to work one of the days, but otherwise, I have done tons of relaxing, took a long walk today, and just enjoyed my time. I invited two of my friends' kids from work. It's been fun chauffeuring them all back and forth each day.

 

*I recently started reading Harry Potter to Kendall. Some of my sweetest memories are from when Cameron and I went through the whole series together. I'm excited to do it again with Kendall (and I love that Cameron wants to listen again too!). Each time we read, they get a "special treat", which consists of a small bowl of dry cereal. ;)

 

*Speaking of Harry Potter, yesterday I bought myself a shirt from Kohl's. I wore it today and have already received three comments. It's quite the conversation starter if you understand what it is. :)

*A friend of mine recently told me about a new drink (Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew) she had tried at Starbucks. I tested it out the other day and loved it. I only ever go to Starbucks in the winter for hot drinks. They lost me as a summer customer many years ago when they changed their frappuchino formula. This drink won me back. :)

*Chris's brother recommended a movie the other night for us to watch. It was incredibly dumb,  but also had a ton of funny parts and was very entertaining. :)

oak glen

*Last weekend our Toys R Us trip didn't yield a purchase for Cam. On Thursday we drove to Ontario Mills, where our nearest Lego Store is located. I was so proud of him. He found the set he wanted, however decided against buying it because he had spent so much time saving up his money and didn't feel 100% sure it was a good purchase. The set was very small for the price (as are many Lego sets!!). I was happy he made such a smart decision.

Afterward we headed over to the food court.

Yes, having your mom pack you a peanut butter sandwich and applesauce isn't the most exciting when you are sitting in a food court full of a zillion yummy options...

...but when saving money on lunch equals your first taste of a Cinnabon for dessert, I think they were in agreement it was worth it!

*I had noticed the kids tooth brushing sessions could sometimes be quite short. I found a little timer on Amazon. They now know they have to wait until that sand runs out before they can stop brushing. :)

*Yep. As tacky as foil is on our back door, it makes such a huge difference in the temperature of our kitchen/dining room. Totally worth it. :)

*Yesterday we met some friends for a hike in Oak Glen.

It ended up being quite warm. Luckily the trail was mostly in the shade, however by the end we were all sweaty and the kids were excited to get apple cider floats as a cool off treat.

*Last night the kids asked what we were doing today. I responded that we didn't have any plans. Kendall then said, "Just PLEASE not Costco!!" Apparently she has gotten a bit tired of the place. I was tempted to boot her out of our family right then and there. "Tired of" and "Costco" are words that are allowed in the same sentence. :)

hot hike

*On Sunday, Chris was playing in a golf tournament, so the kids and I headed to Toys R Us after church. They had earned some money taking care of a friend's cat and were eager to look around. On our way, I stopped and got myself an iced coffee from Jack in the Box. It had been a long time and I forgot how good they were. It motivated me to explore making them at home again. I've tried before, but never landed on a recipe I love.

*Yesterday, Cam and I went on another big hike with my dad. This time we tackled Mt. San Bernardino. We had planned for possibly going to the summit, however we ended up turning back early and we are so glad we did. Even though we were going downhill on the way back, the heat was pretty intense. We ended up doing 10 miles, which is a good length for me (the full summit hike would have been 16).

*I knew we had a good chunk of time this morning to kill, so I decided to give a little Lego nudge to Cam. Usually if I get the set out for him and help him sort the colors, he'll take off running. :)

*I've done a few Beth Moore studies over the years and I always enjoy them. I decided to do one again that I had from college. I wish I could say I complete an entire lesson a day, but it usually ends up being part of one. I love her descriptive writing (even though some of it can be a tad too syrupy) and I like how much scripture she has you look up with each lesson.

*Right now I'm relaxing, watching a Hallmark movie. Chris took the kids to lunch and to see, "Captain Underpants". I'm so thankful he is willing to do the kid movie thing....because that's an area of parent-fail for me. I rarely (well, never) take the kids to see movies. I just get really bored and antsy. :)

They were excited for In & Out. :)

pop tarts

The kids and I have been having so much fun this first week of summer. We have fun every summer, but this one in particular is just so much sweeter since it follows my first year of work. Here are a few things we've occupied our time with...

Swimming with friends:

Beach Day: The weather couldn't have been more perfect! 

I loved this picture. I was so curious as to what they were chatting about. :)

Sidenote: On our way home, I was planning on taking FasTrak. However upon seeing $12.40 on the sign, I quickly opted out. Are you kidding me???

Museum with the quads:

Fun breakfasts: When daddy goes to the store, he often comes home with things NOT on the list. Things such as Poptarts. :) 

Kendall had been wanting to have a bake sale, so today was the day. What was she raising money for? Umm...Littlest Pet Shop. :) I didn't mind helping her, however I've decided next time SHE will be the one to buy the ingredients. 

sherlock

*I taught Sunday school class for Cameron and Kendall this past weekend. I had prepared everything and had it all packed in a big bag. We arrived and, much to my frustration, I included everything except the lesson plan book. Ugh. Luckily I had my craft supplies and I just had to wing the rest!

After church we went out to lunch with my parents and Susan.

When we got home, Cameron and I went for a scooter ride. An adult sized scooter might have been a tad easier, but I made it work. :)

*Yesterday we headed out to the desert (and some warmer weather) and went to a park the kids used to love. We hadn't been in a very long time. I packed a picnic lunch and they were excited to have the park practically to themselves.

Before the park, we made a quick stop at the library, so I could stock up on some magazines to read while they played. Quite relaxing. :)

Afterward we stopped by a frozen yogurt shop. Kendall opted for shaved ice.

When we got home, I went to work cleaning out our DVD collection. If it hadn't been watched in a year or more, it was gone. :) I got rid of quite a few!!

*Chris and I are back into Sherlock. We watched it a while ago and I'm not sure why we stopped. He is quite entertaining and the writing is pretty funny.

ice cream

*The last few days have been exactly as I had envisioned not working to be. On our first full day we spent some time at a local creek. We went with some friends and had the place mostly to ourselves. The kids had such a fun time.

 

 

*The next day we went to Knott's Berry Farm. My parents and my mom's childhood friend (who is visiting from Texas) joined us. We had such a fun, fun day. The weather was perfect and we didn't have to wait too terribly long for most of the rides.

 

 

"Ms. Susan" bought the kids each souvenirs. Kendall was super excited about her cute parasol.

Chris wasn't able to go with us, so I was glad my dad was up for all the, "make me throw-up" rides. :)

 

*Today I took the kids on a bike ride. All four quads joined us. It was a long line of bikes to keep track of, but luckily everything went great.